UBA6: An E1 enzyme critical for hippocampal and amygdalar development
Jill R. Glausier, Ph.D.
Article
Protein turnover and degradation is an essential component for the proper functioning of all eukaryotic cells. Proteins are tagged for degradation by the addition of ubiquitin, a process which requires three distinct enzyme classes. The classes are E1, the ubiquitin-activating enzyme; E2, the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes; and E3, the ubiquitin-protein ligases. Although many E2 and E3 enzymes exist, the canonical ubiquitination pathway has only one ubiquitin-activating E1 enzyme, termed UBE1. However, within the last decade, researchers have identified a second ubiquitin-activating E1 enzyme, termed UBA1, 2, 3. UBA6 has both distinct and overlapping traits with UBE1. For example, these enzymes are able to activate ubiquitin but UBA6 is also able to activate the ubiquitin-like modifier, FAT10. Both E1 enzymes can interact with a population of E2 enzymes but only UBA6 interacts with the E2 enzyme USE14.